Bill Nye on Joining Dancing With the Stars: "It's All Physics!"

Bill Nye "The Science Guy" is set to hit the dance floor on Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars, and says the competition is "all physics"Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC

Bill Nye 'The Science Guy' is back! The PBS TV star and mechanical engineer, 57, is hitting the dance floor in Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars, and is already well prepared with his vast knowledge of -- physics.

"I do like dancing," he told Us Weekly about joining the reality series. "We're in this to win this. I mean, I went to a pretty tough engineering school and then I worked in children's television with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. I played in that league." He added: "I'm in this to do my very best. To get the mirror ball trophy."

Nye's partner on the ABC series will be Tyne Stecklein, a newbie to the already long list of returning professional dancers. "I'll be shakin' it on #DWTS this season with the wonderful @TyneStecklein," Nye tweeted shortly after the pairing. "I can already feel the burn…"

"He's a great student. He's very smart, obviously, which helps," Stecklein told Us. "He picks things up really quickly and he gets it and he enjoys it. And he works really hard."

Physics help or not, Nye will be up against some tough competition in the upcoming season. Some other celebrities vying for the coveted mirror ball trophy this year includeNicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Elizabeth Berkley, Corbin Bleu, Jack Osbourne and Leah Remini.

Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars premieres Monday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.